What you’ll learn in this article:
- Why you need a commercial cold brew coffee maker
- How the best commercial cold brew coffee maker makes your operations more efficient
- The ideal extraction times, materials, and cold brew machine features that improve prep time and consistency
- How to expand your menu with a single cold brew machine
Cold brew coffee is no longer a luxury product for a select few coffee shops. Instead, it’s more popular than ever with modern consumers, thanks to its smooth texture and perceived sweetness compared to hot coffee. For foodservice businesses, this makes the best commercial cold brew coffee maker essential for capturing these consumers.
Determining the best commercial cold brew coffee maker for your business is no easy feat. You need to consider the volume of customers you serve, the types of drinks you want to make, and logistical concerns like hygiene. Only once you’ve made those decisions can you source equipment that unlocks these new revenue streams.
To learn more about what to look for in the best commercial cold brew coffee maker, I spoke to Maddox Burns. He is the owner of a Travelin’ Tom’s Coffee Truck franchise in Florida, USA. Read on for his insight.
Why every café needs a commercial cold brew coffee maker in 2025
Cold brew isn’t a niche drink anymore – and consumer demand is higher than ever. In the United Kingdom alone, 43% of consumers report drinking it at least once a month. Meanwhile, in 2024, the global cold brew market was valued at $3.16 billion USD – a staggering 22% increase over the previous year. These figures prove that foodservice businesses should now see it as a menu staple rather than a premium extra.
Cold brew coffee’s rapid growth is in no small part due to the drink’s distinct characteristics compared to hot coffee. Thanks to its lower extraction temperature, fewer of the coffee’s bitter and acidic compounds end up in the drink. Therefore, it’s generally associated with smoother and sweeter flavour notes.
Similarly, its perceived healthiness compared to milk-based coffee, including lower sugar content, has made it popular with younger demographics. In particular, Gen Z and Millennials are more engaged than older generations with healthy food and drink. As such, consumer interest in health-conscious, premium, and convenient beverages is only going to grow.
If you source equipment that is unsuitable for your needs, you’ll be left with a number of operational bottlenecks. After all, cold brew traditionally takes between 12 and 24 hours to prepare, and manual methods are hard to monitor overnight. Using these methods, you could face slow preparation times, inconsistent extraction and flavour, or supply issues.
Therefore, the best commercial cold brew coffee maker will take unpredictability, volatility, and poor hygiene out of the equation.
How to choose the best commercial cold brew coffee maker for your business
Choosing the best commercial cold brew coffee maker is a decision that affects workflow, consistency, and menu flexibility. Equipment like the Baby Hardtank uses patented recirculation technology that continuously agitates coffee grounds in the filter basket. Unlike the static steeping process of traditional drum methods, it can produce up to four litres of cold brew in less than 45 minutes.
“As a franchisee, we rely on our distributors to produce cold brew concentrate in bulk,” Maddox says. “They need to be able to keep up with this demand – even from our one franchise truck, we need to constantly have the product available for us.”
This is helpful for foodservice businesses of all sizes because it reduces the amount of cold storage space you need. Similarly, larger Hardtank models, such as the Hardtank 20, scale up for higher output with the same recirculation method and short preparation times.
Equipment that has a touchscreen or a similar user interface helps to simplify the process of preparing drinks. You should also look for machines with built-in memory functions, allowing you to save brewing profiles for repeatable results.
When evaluating the best commercial cold brew coffee maker for you, your operational context should guide your decision. For example, cafés and roasteries may want to experiment with brew profiles, grind sizes, and types of coffee to adjust their cold brew. Therefore, you’ll need equipment like the Baby Hardtank, with a filter basket that makes it easy to add new ingredients or variables.
That said, sanitation and hygiene should also be a top-level consideration when choosing the best commercial cold brew coffee maker. “Hygiene is critical,” Maddox explains. “We serve customers directly and need confidence that our cold brew is produced in a clean, safe environment.”
For foodservice businesses, hygiene isn’t just a background consideration – it should be one of your ongoing operational pillars. After all, if you fail to properly clean even the best commercial cold brew coffee maker, it can harbour bacteria such as E. coli in just a few days. It risks giving your customers food poisoning, and may even jeopardise your business’ reputation and future.
As such, the best commercial cold brew coffee maker will have automated cleaning settings to remove human error from the equation. It means there’s no risk of staff missing a spot during cleaning, or hard-to-reach areas developing bacteria or mould that can cause a myriad of problems. For these reasons, look for machinery made of food-grade stainless steel.
Other drinks you can make with a cold brew coffee machine
The flexibility of these systems means you can use the best commercial cold brew coffee maker to develop other drinks. For example, Hardtank equipment can prepare cold brew-based mocktails, iced tea infusions, and cascara drinks.
These varied use cases help businesses to craft menus that stand out and quickly adapt to seasonal trends without complicating their range of equipment. Instead, you can change the ingredients in the machine’s filter basket and save the brew profile to retain these new drinks in the future.
As an example, a coffee shop or restaurant can use Hardtank systems to experiment with seasonal infusions such as peach cold brew in summer or spiced blends in winter. Because of the built-in recipe storage, your staff can then replicate the preparation with minimal setup.
Rather than locking into a single-use machine, investing in flexible cold brew equipment allows businesses to adapt to emerging trends quickly. It’s convenient for your staff, long-lasting for consistent use, and prioritises drink quality to help you build a reputation for excellence.
“It helps to ensure consistency, quality, and customer safety,” Maddox concludes. “We are very happy with our current distributor and the quality of product they provide to us. As Travelin’ Tom’s Coffee Trucks continue to roll out across the country, they have been able to keep up with the increasing demand, ensuring that there is always stock available for us franchisees to purchase and get on our trucks as fast as possible.”
Ultimately, the best commercial cold brew coffee maker is the one that complements your existing operations while giving you the tools to scale and expand. A well-matched system can help maintain consistency, respond to demand, and introduce new offerings without overextending your team.
Learn more about Hardtank’s commercial cold brew maker here or get in touch with the team for a quote.
FAQ
Why do I need a commercial cold brew coffee maker?
Coffee shops, restaurants, and foodservice businesses should source the best commercial cold brew coffee maker to meet the growing demand for smooth cold brew.
What should I look for in the best commercial cold brew coffee maker?
You should keep a particular eye out for fast brewing times, consistent extraction, ease of use, and hygiene. Features like touchscreen interfaces, memory functions and automated cleaning – such as those in systems like the Hardtank or Baby Hardtank – make daily use easier and more efficient.
How can I choose the right machine for my business size?
You should determine your cold brew maker based on order volumes and customer demand. Compact models like the Baby Hardtank are ideal for smaller cafés, while high-volume operations can scale up with the Hardtank 20 for increased output.
What materials are best for a commercial cold brew coffee maker?
You should look for equipment made from food-grade stainless steel. This is food-safe, easy to clean, and durable in the long term.
Can I use a commercial cold brew maker for drinks other than coffee?
Yes! Many systems, including Hardtank, can also be used to prepare drinks like iced teas, cascara infusions, or seasonal mocktails. This helps diversify your menu without adding extra equipment.
